


Old Acquaintances

by Tangent101



Series: A New Beginning [2]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwell Academy (Life is Strange), Chloe isn't in debt... yet, Classes will be like in high school, F/F, Max and Chloe meet early, Rachel is Missing, Slow Burn, Start Of The School Year, There's two dorms and the rooms are a lot smaller., Things have changed, Why Dontnod didn't intelligently research schools and dorms I'll never know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:28:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25807378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangent101/pseuds/Tangent101
Summary: Chloe Price is busy working on her truck when an old friend stops by out of the blue, and asks if she'd like to help her move into Blackhell. Now if only she can get in without Step-Fuehrer intercepting her....
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Series: A New Beginning [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1854292
Comments: 14
Kudos: 27





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Small note: This is the second story in the A New Beginning series, so you probably want to read the first story before going on. In addition, I realized there was a second part of the story to be told, so if you've not read about Max learning that her new friend's motorcycle and her nervousness of being a first-time passenger... you might want to pop back to the previous story and read the second chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

The sickly sweet scent of antifreeze teased my nose as I struggled with pliers, trying to unwrap a shredded serpentine belt from my truck's radiator fan. I muttered several choice curses. I'd noticed the dampness earlier, but I'd hoped it was just condensation or the like. But my luck held as usual; a shitstorm of epic proportions.

One thing at a time. I caught an end of the serpentine belt and started to unwind it from the shaft of the radiator fan, only to find the belt had somehow wrapped around itself. I tugged a couple times but it refused to budge loose. I let out a curse that would have had David lecturing me on propriety (despite the fact he's _called_ me worse things, fucking hypocrite) and started digging through my dad's old tool box for wire cutters.

The low purr of a motorcycle engine teased my ears as I leaned back in and started trying to cut the belt free. Why anyone thought it was a good idea to wrap strands of metal in rubber I'll never understand... wait, was that motorcycle _stopping_ here? I poked my head out from under the hood to see a dark purple bike parked just after the stairs leading to the front door. A young woman was helping her friend climb off of it.

"What do you want?" I asked, and then shook my head. Idiot. "Sorry. I mean, hi! Can I help you with something?"

One of the girls froze at the sound of my voice, still half-on the motorcycle. The visor on her helmet hid her eyes but I still could feel her eyes on me and sense her shock. _Who is this?_

"Chloe? Is that you?" she asked, and it took me a moment to place that soft voice. I'd only memorized it over the years, listening to a recorded farewell over and over again until I'm surprised the cassette tape hadn't snapped. The wire cutters slipped out of my fingers and hit the driveway. _Max?_

The other girl had already removed her helmet and glasses, revealing short dark hair and blue eyes that were studying me intently. She placed the helmet on the seat and then turned back, holding out her hand to Max. "That doesn't look comfortable," she said, amusement leaching into her voice, and Max quickly slid the rest of the way off the motorcycle (and when did Max start riding on _motorcycles_ anyway?) and quickly wrestled with the helmet, revealing startled eyes that didn't look away from mine once.

"Oh dog, it is you! Chloe! You- I- it's good..." she paused, her words getting all jumbled. The other girl gently pried Max's helmet out of her fingers and placed it on the bike behind her own.

"So. Why don't you introduce us, Max?" she asked, smiling brightly at my old friend though I'm not sure Max noticed the other girl turning on the charm. For a moment I was reminded of Rachel. She would smile like that at times and it was so easy to get lost in that smile. My stomach turned at the thought. Max and Rachel would have hit it off so well.

Max finally glanced away at me and smiled hesitantly at the other girl and then looked back at me. "Angel, this is my best friend, Chloe Price. Chloe, this is Angel. Um..." she blushed suddenly and glanced back at Angel, chagrined. "We kinda just met a little while ago. She was helping me move in and..." she hesitated, searching for words, and I realized that Max had no idea of what she was doing. She was just being swept along like leaves in a storm.

Part of me was angry. Five years. Five years without a word. Yeah, I could have tried to contact her more often as well but even so! But I just couldn't stay angry at her, not with Max looking all forlorn and hesitant. I looked over at her friend, who shared a glance with me and then stepped up, putting an arm around Max's back and said "she was hoping you could help her decorate her room. She hasn't unpacked anything yet, she was just excited at seeing you. So I gave her a lift."

Max looked chagrined and mumbled something about it being Angel's idea and all at once the anger fled. I never could stay angry at Max. Even at my lowest, I always knew I'd just... welcome her back without hesitation. Rachel had yelled at me about that a couple times. It had something to do with being a "Leo" and not forgiving people. Heck, I remember when she got mad at Frank over some slight and started insisting I go buy pot from him instead of going herself. Sometimes I wondered if I'd offended Rachel as well and that's why she vanished.

"Wait. You're attending Blackhell?" I asked Max, though more to drag her out of her shell of insecurities and doubt than anything else. I mean, it _was_ kind of obvious, there's not much else in Arcadia Bay. And she was a year back from me, so she'd be graduating this year. _Fuck. She doesn't know about my... history with Blackhell._

"Yeah, I- I wanted it to be a surprise. I'm back..." she said and damn but my heart was starting to break because she sounded _scared_. Was I scowling? Damn, I must have been.

"Max! Max, it's okay. I just... you got me!" I said, moving up and putting a hand on her shoulder and trying to smile without it looking creepy; with Rachel vanishing into the ether and my truck breaking down, I'd not had many reasons to smile. "I'm hella surprised! It's not easy to get into Blackwell either. You must have worked your ass off to get in!"

"Oh... I got in on an art scholarship for Blackwell's photography program under Mark Jefferson..." Max started to blossom as she started to geek out over this teacher, I think I'd heard Rachel talk about him several times. I noticed Max's friend had stepped back, leaning against the wall, though for a split second when Max had started talking about her teacher... I'm not sure. It was like she was trying to school her expression?

As Max paused for air I glanced over at the other girl. "And what about you? Did you come for the great Mark Jefferson?"

"To be honest, I find him a little pretentious, and I always found his art creepy. But I guess something about Arcadia Bay called out to me, so I came. It's nice to be away from cities, and I can hike out here and just relax on the weekends."

I snorted even as Max looked a bit outraged that someone _dared_ to suggest her star teacher was _pretentious_. "Yeah, you're not going to get many chances to _relax_ at Blackhell. They hit you hard with homework and the like. I'm so glad to be out of there." Yeah, let's not mention that they kicked my ass out of there a couple weeks after my 18th birthday, and they were not legally obligated to educate me. No love lost there.

She looked more amused than worried at my warning, but Max grew pale. "Really? Wowsers, I've not even unpacked yet..."

Max _had_ said something about wanting me to help her set up her room. I gave an annoyed glance at my not-so-loyal-steed and signed. "Yeah. I don't think I can help with that. My wheels have bitten the big one. I doubt the three of us can fit on the back of that bike."

"We could take the bus!" Max said but she looked crestfallen at the look on my face. The last thing I wanted to do was jump on that stinking tin can as it rattled around Arcadia Bay... not to mention that step-douche might catch me. She muttered "Yeah, Angel wasn't thrilled with that idea either" and looked away.

"Maybe I can't take the _three_ of us, but I could give _you_ a ride, Chloe, and let Max catch the bus. I'm sure she'd love to spend more time with you, and if classes are going to be as tough as you claim, this is probably the only real chance she'll have to hang out until she gets the hang of things."

I glanced over at Angel and then back at Max, whose eyes looked both hopeful and scared at the same time. I sighed and then turned and snagged the wire cutters off the pavement. The last thing I'd want is for step-fuehrer to come home and lose a tire because I'd left tools out. "Just let me pack up my tools and wash my hands, and I'll be there. In the meantime, Max, why don't you head down to the bus stop? We'll meet you back at the dorms," I said, glancing back at Max and smiling. Repairs could wait. Friends were hella more important.


	2. Chapter 2

We watched as Max trotted down the street toward the bus stop at the base of the hill. Angel shook her head and said "She'd get back to Blackwell quicker _walking_. We're halfway there." She turned away and headed to my truck to peek under the hood, her nose wrinkling. "Oh, that's not good. You've a radiator leak."  
  
I wasn't sure if I should be offended or amused. Angel was as nosy as Max, though I suppose an open hood seems like an invitation for every Tom, Dick, or Mary. Though it's a relief she's not ogling Max jogging away. Five years, just about, and she was still a half foot shorter than me. Max was definitely getting teased about that; she kept insisting she'd sprout past me once that final growth spurt kicked in.  
  
Curiosity beat irritation and I joined Angel under the hood. "I'm thinking the serpentine belt nicked a hose when it came loose. I just have to find where it's leaking."  
  
"Don't bother. It's the radiator itself," Angel said, pointing to moist rust along the main body of the radiator. "The radiator needs to be flushed every couple of years or it turns corrosive and eats the innards. It's been rusting away since before you bought it. You might want to change the head gasket as well. When the fluid starts going it'll eat into gaskets."  
  
"Fuck." A new radiator, a head gasket job, and who the fuck knows what else the damn mechanic would find. Not like I could fix it. Ah well, I'd figure something out. "So, what's your angle?" I asked, my gaze being met by mismatched blue eyes. It was like a film had grown over her right eye, leaving it a cloudy blue. _Is she blind in that eye? Fuck, she's riding a motorcycle while short an eye... better not tell Max, she'll freak._  
  
"Angle?" Angel asked. I'd hate to play poker against her, I couldn't get anything from her. She _could_ just be a "good Samaritan" but that smile had reminded me of Rachel. Rachel always did things for a reason.  
  
"Yeah. I mean, aren't you busy moving in yourself? Why drag Max out here?"  
  
Angel shrugged. "A friend's bringing my stuff in her car. But she got caught up in traffic. I can sit in an empty dorm room twiddling my thumbs for the next hour or so, or go out and meet people. Max caught my eye."  
  
"Oh?" My tone must have spoken volumes as Angel rolled her eyes in amusement.  
  
"Not like that," she said. "I have an ex I'm already missing. I don't need to jump on the rebound wagon."  
  
I'm not sure why I felt relieved by her admission, or by the twinge of jealousy I felt just before when she'd said Max _caught her eye_. I placed the wire cutters in my dad's old toolbox and closed it up. "Just give me a minute to wash up, okay? I'll be right back," I said, picking up the toolbox, and headed into the garage.  
  
"Be sure to snag a jacket when you're in there," she called after me. I didn't bother responding. So, she was one of _those_ bikers, insisting on covering up. I was surprised by the half-helmet she wore instead of something covering more of her head. Though many bikers complain about the lack of peripheral vision and muffled hearing with helmets. Maybe the half helmet was a happy medium for her?  
  
My hands were grimy with grease, grit, and a couple decades of accumulated dirt from the engine. Fortunately, I'd left the door to the living room ajar, so I nudged it open and went to the kitchen sink. I poured a small handful of dish soap into my hands and rubbed them together, working the grease into the soap before turning on the tap. Most of the grease washed off and I dried my hands with a couple paper towels to catch more of it. _Good enough. Who gives a fuck about dirt under fingernails?_ The rest would come off in the shower later. I wiped greasy soap off of the tap with the used paper towels. Mom got upset when her sink was left filthy. The last thing I needed was Sergeant Dickhead finding yet _another_ reason to get on my case.  
  
I hurried up the stairs to my room, peeling my sweaty tank top off as I reached my door. I tossed it on the ground in the growing pile of not-yet-washed clothes and opened the closet door to find something decent to wear around Max.. I paused at that. _Damn girl vanishes from my life for five years, and the moment she's back I'm trying to impress her? How fucked is that? Rachel would be having a field day about my just letting her back into my life? Why trust her? She's just going to leave again._  
  
Because the moment Max found out her "best friend" was some worthless loser kicked out of Blackhell for _vandalism_ of all things, she'd move on and make new, better friends. In the end I'd be left rotting away in Arcadia Bay. She's already starting down that path with this Angel chick.  
  
Hell, _Rachel_ couldn't be bothered to wait for me. She'd vanished without a trace. She'd not even left a goodbye note. I smothered the little whisper in the back of my head suggesting... a _darker_ reason for why Rachel had disappeared. She was my angel. She wasn't dead. She... she couldn't be. I took a deep breath and snagged the first t-shirt I came across... Firewalk.  
  
After a moment I shrugged and pulled it on. It was a souvenir of my first "date" with Rachel, nearly a week after we'd first met and she accidentally stopped me from overdosing on a bunch of antidepressants. She'd just swept in like a fresh breeze and I'd pocketed the bottle of pills. I'm not sure if she'd realized it. At the very least she'd never brought it up. No, Rachel had just been bored and thought I looked _interesting_. A week later we'd attended Firewalk together and had a blast. She'd bought the shirt so I could remember that night. I didn't need it. All I had to do was look at her and I remembered that night and thrashing in the Old Mill.  
  
 _Ah, fuck nostalgia_. I looked around. My leather jacket was trying to blend in to the back of my chair where I'd draped it, and I shrugged into it. The room was a disaster area. It was _my_ disaster area but... maybe I'd clean when I got back. It would be worth it just to shock step-prick and Mom. Hopefully Max wouldn't stumble across anything embarrassing when she inevitably snooped around my room. At least my "toys" were hidden in American Rust. Step-ass had barged in uninvited far too many times. I sure as fuck didn't want to be caught by him with my pants down.  
  
Angel was perched on the wall, facing away from the house, when I popped out the front door. She glanced over her shoulder at me and hopped down as I approached. "Sorry it took so long."  
  
"We've time. Here," she said, tossing a pair of leather gloves to me. They were a tad large but would do in a pinch. "I'm surprised you took me up on the ride though. Don't you want to hang out with Max? You _do_ know how to ride, right? Or do I have another virgin on my hands?"  
  
I snorted as I got on the motorcycle. "Dude, definitely not a virgin. Besides, pass a chance to ride again? It's been too long," I said. "My step-ass is security at Blackhell. I'm not allowed on campus now I'm... done with school. If I get caught getting off the school bus...."  
  
The other girl nodded. "You want to sneak in then."  
  
"Fuck yeah. Makes things more fun!" I snarked. Though I'd have to be careful. Last thing I needed was to send Max a text letting her know I wasn't allowed on Blackwell grounds. _Not like Wells gives a damn, if he even remembers me_. It'd been a year since I'd been a student, and I'd not been back to the school in months, not with Rachel missing. He'd over a hundred students at Blackhell. He'd probably forgotten I even exist.  
  
"Let's be off then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I was waiting on proofreaders. 
> 
> I hope this update explains why Chloe chose to go with Angel to Blackhell rather than ride the bus with Max. I mean, if you'd not seen your best friend in five years and she showed up uninvited and you were all dirty and greasy working on a car... well, I'd want to clean up before hanging with her too. Also she's not that sure about this new girl and wasn't about to invite her in, especially with her bedroom primed for Max to find all her shit. 
> 
> It's one thing to accept a ride. It's another thing to let someone in who you'd just met a couple minutes before unless there's a good reason to do so.


	3. Chapter 3

Riding with Angel was much like going to Oaks Amusement Park with my Dad. I waited in line for the rollercoaster for half an hour, got buckled in, and after one minute of fun it was all over. I spent all that time getting dressed, snagged my jacket, put on gloves, and we zipped up the street, down the next, and then were pulling into the parking lot. She chose to park at the far end, away from the bustle of last-minute students.

"Which dorm is she in?" I asked, pulling the helmet off. I pulled my beanie out of my back pocket but held off putting it on; my hair was all sweaty from five minutes wearing the head coffin. Why couldn't we live in Indiana or New Hampshire where you could ride helmet free? Though Rachel joked New Hampshire's motto was "Live Free **and** Die." 

Angel glanced back at me, looking thoughtful. "You're going to stand out," she muttered. She looked over at a couple security keeping an eye on new students. Fortunately they'd not spied me yet. I jammed the beanie on my head and started tucking my hair under it. 

"This ain't my first rodeo. I just wanted to let my hair dry first," I said wryly. "So, which way?" 

"Prescott Dorm," she said, starting at a brisk pace toward the stairs. I easily kept up to the shorter girl. "I'm surprised we don't have roommates, even if I've seen monk cubicles bigger than my room. Hailey's room is _maybe_ a couple feet wider and she has to share it with someone else." 

"Hailey's your ex?" 

"Yup. We're keeping in touch. She helps keep me sane," Angel said wistfully. Before the smirk had even formed on my lip, she added "and no sass out of you, please." 

My quip died on my lips as I heard a familiar snarl and glanced over to spy step-douche accosting Justin and a couple of his friends. I quickened my step to walk alongside Angel, using her to screen David. She wasn't the best choice to hide behind, seeing I was a foot taller than her. It took every iota of willpower to keep from turning my head to keep an eye on him, and sweat started to bead on my forehead as I anticipated his hand descending on my shoulder. 

We passed the handicapped parking spaces (an utter waste of good parking given the absolute _lack_ of handicapped ramps _anywhere_ in Blackhell) and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Angel chuckled. "It's okay. Once we get inside, the scary man won't be able to catch you." 

"You joke, but _I_ have to deal with him _daily_ ," I muttered. She patted my back in sympathy. 

Wells was nowhere to be seen as we hurried past the looming school building. He was probably wandering about greeting parents and new students and wishing he could get drunk. I had little sympathy. He ignored teacher reports on David leaving bruises on me. The sooner he was caught drunk on the job and tossed out, the better. 

Still, having to suck up to the Prescotts for money, coping with Nathan's tantrums, and dealing with all the rich little socialites who acted as if anyone without a trust fund was their servant... I'm surprised I never bumped into him at Frank's RV picking up something a little more... _relaxing_ than alcohol. 

There was a queue of people around the stairs leading to the dorms. Angel signed impatiently and grumbled "We should have gone behind the school. I swear, this is the stupidest design. Who puts the parking on the _other_ side of the dorms?" 

I laughed. "It's to keep you from kipping out for a joyride late at night. They've got you trapped here for half a year. They don't want you fleeing the first chance you get." 

We finally worked our way through the stairs down to the dorms. The moment we broke from the crowd, Angel sped up. No doubt she hoped to get me into the girls' dorms before anything _else_ went wrong. I picked up my pace to keep up with her. We ducked in behind two anxious parents bringing far too many belongings for the cells the students would be sleeping in, and I followed Angel as she headed up to the second floor. 

Angel pushed the door open and froze in the doorway. I nearly ran her down as she gazed up at someone, and I stared over Angel's head at Victoria fucking Chase, the bitch who along with Nathan had been a thorn in Rachel's side. Rachel never let them know how annoyed she got at them. She was quite polite to Victoria in public, but when we were alone... she could be totally brutal about the blonde-haired girl. 

Victoria sneered at Angel and glanced over her at me, her eyes widening with recognition. "Chloe Price, what are _you_ doing here? Didn't you get expelled two years ago?" _Fuck._ At least Max wasn't here to witness my humiliation. Victoria backed up a pace as she glanced back down at Angel and I wished for a moment I could see the expression on her face. "She's helping me move in, Victoria. So, where's your cadre? I didn't think you so much as wiped your ass without the Tweedle Twins giving you a hand." 

Somehow I managed to suppress a snicker. Given how Victoria glared at me, I'd not kept my amusement from showing. "Figures the punk dykes would find each other," she muttered. 

"Better a punk dyke than a lipstick lesbian," I shot back. Rachel had joked several times that Victoria was desperate to get into Rachel's pants. Maybe I was twisting the blade into my own gut as well as Victoria's, but I couldn't resist. 

Angel took advantage of Victoria's incredulous look to push by her, and I waggled my fingers at Victoria before following. "I see your standards are sinking, Price. I guess Rachel dumping your sorry ass woke you to the fact you'll always be trailer trash," she shot back. I'd have turned but Angel snagged my wrist without looking and dragged me away. I made sure to flip Victoria the bird as we hurried into the dormitory hall. 

Her comment still rankled and I muttered "I hate that bitch" as we passed by a couple parents, the mother lecturing this mousy-looking brunette wearing a crucifix. The girl looked positively miserable, like all she wanted was to sink into the ground. I knew that feeling. I mean, at the _very_ least, couldn't you lecture her in her _dorm room_? 

I started as Angel spoke. "She's full of herself. One day it's going to get her in a lot of trouble." She sounded melancholy and didn't let go of my wrist until we'd gone around the corner and through a set of double doors someone had wedged open. "Sorry about that. I just didn't want to get into a shouting match in the middle of the hall." 

"Nah, that's fine. I can think of far better things to do than argue with Victoria Chase all day. You know, like driving a spike through my eye." Angel smirked and led me to a room that was basically devoid of anything but a bed, desk, and chair. The typical Blackhell cell for scholarship students. If you paid more your room was a little wider and included a couch. But Blackhell penny-and-dimed you to death. Want meals? You have to pay for them. Want to take the bus? You also have to pay. 

Angel walked over to the chair and sat in it sideways, leaning back against the wall. She gestured to the bed and I flopped on it, wincing as I learned Blackhell was skimping on mattresses as well. Either that or Angel had gotten a used mattress from the good rooms when it was time to replace them. "So, how'd you get expelled?" Angel asked, looking past me and out the open door. 

_Fuck._ "Heard that, huh?" I muttered. Of course she'd heard. It was a fool's hope to hope otherwise. "Let's just say... creative differences. They didn't like my art," I said, trying to brush off that I'd been caught tagging one of Blackhell's walls with a mural of Principal Wells draining a bottle into his mouth. Angel turned her gaze on me and I couldn't help but add "I might have been a repeat offender." 

She shrugged and returned her gaze to the door. "Got your GED?" 

"Mom can't afford that," I said, shaking my head. "And I've better things to spend my money on." It's not like I'd ever go to college. I wilted a little, thinking of how disappointed Dad would have been with me. 

"You're not going to get a decent job without one. It's only like a hundred fifty and change," she said and as I shot her a look she glanced back at me with a small grin. "Hailey has a GED. She... had incentive to start college early and didn't want to graduate. I mean, she's a straight-A student so she passed the tests easily." 

I could tell there was something she wasn't telling me, but honestly it wasn't my business to pry. Even if I was curious. The more I heard of this Hailey, the more I _knew_ she wasn't interested in Max. I sighed and flopped back onto the bed. "Gonna tell Max?" 

"No, but you should," she replied. I turned my head toward her and gave her an incredulous look. She met my gaze and added "how long before Victoria throws this in your face in front of her? Isn't it better to tell Max now?" 

I closed my eyes at the intensity of her gaze. "I just wanted a couple days with my best friend before she ditches me again." 

Angel snorted. "Ditches you? Chloe, she has a picture of you and her dressed as pirates in a box she brought here. It was on the very top so it wouldn't get damaged." I felt a lump in my throat at that. I remembered that photo. Dad had taken it. She'd kept it? "You know, I think she came here because of _you_. Mark Jefferson is just an excuse." I caught the derision in her voice. He definitely wasn't _her_ favorite photographer. 

Still, I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit hopeful. Maybe I _wasn't_ going to lose my best friend after all. Maybe. I tried to sound sarcastic but it came out more wistful as I asked "how would _you_ break it to her? Oh hey, I got kicked out of Blackhell and I'm technically not allowed on campus?" 

"You'll think of something. It's better coming from you rather than the Victorias of the world. And seriously. Look into getting the GED. That way you can tell Max you're looking into getting one." Angel pulled out her phone and typed something, and smiled at what she saw on the screen. "Max is at the dorms. Let's go meet her."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in the new chapter! I started playing Witcher 3 again and between that and planning for the Pathfinder game I run, well, I ended up taking far longer to write this chapter than I'd intended. ^^;;
> 
> Angel's ex-girlfriend named in honor of Hailey Hayes, the voice actress behind Samantha in _Before the Storm_ (and used with permission). 
> 
> Also I have to say that Victoria hit me with a short writer's block. I swear, that Victoria is so mean. Not like I'm planning potentially evil things with her in mind or anything... *shiftyeyes* Anyway, thank you for reading :)

**Author's Note:**

> Part of this may have been inspired by having to replace the serpentine belt in my own vehicle, and not having an easy time of it. (It helps when a friend pushes the belt the rest of the way in for you... but this old lady didn't enjoy crawling under her vehicle!) As for Chloe's truck repairs, that's based off of the auto repair bill that Max finds (even if the date is screwy on it). I figure we never see Chloe at Blackhell earlier because she was busy trying to fix her vehicle and then begging people for a loan when her own repair-fu skills proved not-quite-sufficient. 
> 
> Yeah, I know a lot of people think Rachel helped Chloe secure that loan, or that Chloe got it to save up for Rachel and she slowly squandered it but... I honestly cannot see Frank letting Chloe owe him three thousand dollars for half a year. A loan for truck repairs makes more sense, and Frank was probably trying to scare Chloe into giving him her truck which he could have used as a less intrusive way of showing up at Blackwell to sell drugs. And it also explains why Max wasn't just inured of seeing all the Rachel Amber fliers. Chloe had _just_ gotten her truck repaired that week and drove to Blackwell to plaster the fliers everywhere earlier that day.
> 
> But that's another timeline. Here... she's not in debt yet. And having reunited with Max... well, things may change for the better... or worse.
> 
> Enjoy!


End file.
